Have you ever been uncomfortable with doing something because it is your first time? When was the last time that you got out of your comfort zone? The reality is that some of us have great fears in doing something out of the ordinary.
Let us look at the life of Philip in the book of Acts. He can teach us about not saying no to opportunities in serving the Lord. He was someone who was a trailblazer.
Acts 8:5 tells us that Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. The paid close attention to what he said.
Philip went out of his comfort zone and went to Samaria, a place hated by the Jews during this time. Philip must have remembered that Jesus healed a Samaritan leper. Jesus did not choose what race, age, gender or economic class you are from. Jesus sees us as a human being in need of God. So Philip, emboldened by a risen Christ, went to an uncomfortable place and shared the Gospel of salvation. The result was a great joy in the city.
What is interesting here is that Philip was a deacon. He was not an original disciple of Jesus. He was one of the 7 deacons chosen by the disciples. He could have said no. Why? Because Stephen, who was with him as a deacon, already died by stoning. But he did not. He was even emboldened by the martyrdom of Stephen.
He could have said no also because he was a deacon, and was assigned to oversee the distribution of the food to the widows, orphans and poor people. It was the primary responsibility of the disciples to preach. But he did not. He did not limit himself.
When they heard this in Jerusalem, they also immediately sent Peter and John to help in Samaria. Philip was there even before the disciples came.
This should be the same with us. Let us not just share Jesus in our comfort zones, but we must rise up and share the Gospel wherever we will be sent.
May God bless us all!
Rev. Francis Neil G. Jalando-on